PADDY Twomey finished up last season with a 30% strike rate for his career best return of 32 winners in Ireland and it was no surprise that he got off the mark with his first runner in 2023 when French Claim (4/9) proved in a different league to his rivals in a conditions contest.

The Teme Valley-owned son of French Fifteen always travelled strongly for Billy Lee and though he was left in the lead as early as four furlongs out, he easily went clear and never gave up a seven-length margin ahead of runner-up Taipan.

Third in the Irish Derby last season, his final two runs were a little disappointing - seventh in the St Leger and then mid division in the Irish Cesarewitch - but he remains a stayer of potential with his trainer earmarking his next target for a return to this track for the Vintage Crop Stakes over the same distance of a mile and six furlongs.

“It was a nice to get a lead,” said Twomey. “He has form on that ground (heavy), he won on it in Listowel and Cork but he’s pretty versatile. He’s good fresh. The end of last year was a bit of a mess so hopefully this year we’ll have a good year.

“I’d say he’ll come back here for the Vintage Crop Stakes. We’ll try and win a stakes races and take the steps from there. Today was just to take the first step and hopefully he’ll improve. Staying isn’t a problem to him.”

Noel Meade was another trainer to get off the mark for the flat turf season when Black Hawk Eagle (9/2) came from well back in the field to run out a comfortable winner of the one-mile-five-furlong handicap.

The Philip Munnelly and Patrick Sexton-owned five-year-old took a while to get going but came back on the bridle for Colin Keane inside the two-furlong pole, and came with a strong run to outstay Kalmira.

Black Hawk Eagle hit the frame three times in six starts last term but looks a better horse this season and can be competitive off higher marks.

LOCAL trainer Michael Mulvany hit the crossbar on the opening weekend with three seconds, but two of those runners, Seeingisbelieving and Duke Of Leggagh, went one better to give him a double with Gary Carroll.

Duke Of Leggagh (6/4) favourite) ran a huge race in the Madrid Handicap as he was 12lbs out of the handicap and only found a potentially very smart type in Paddington too good on the day. That forced his trainer’s hand to run here off a mark of 69 and he confirmed he is well ahead of that assessment this season with an all-the-way, seven-length score from Noel Meade’s Tea Olive.

“We were forced into running as the 12lb (rise) was going to be hard,” said Mulvany. “He’s a lovely horse in the making and looks like a horse that will jump a hurdle as well. He’s growing and developing all the time.

“It took a while last year for the penny to drop but it did in Galway. Gary said there is still a bit left in him there, hopefully it’s onwards and upwards.”

Seeingisbelieving (9/2 favourite) was well in at the weights as well, though not to the extent of his stablemate, as he took the opening five-furlong handicap, staying on strongly between the James McAuley-trained pair of Tawaazon and Pulse Of Shanghai to score by three quarters of a length for his owners the Cleary Syndicate.

Third in the Irish EBF Auction Series Final as a two-year-old, he began last season off a mark of 83 but struggled to make an impact. Interestingly his trainer feels there were a few problems that kept him back and which are behind him now.

“He had a few little problems last year and we think we have them solved,” said Mulvany. “Hopefully we can keep him right, he seems to be back to himself. He had a problem with his knees and that ground is helping.

“We’ll see what the handicapper does now, we were kind of forced to come here after getting 4lb for the other day.”

The Barry Fitzgerald-trained Brave Troop (9/4 favourite) made it back-to-back wins over the course and distance when running out a comfortable winner of the 10-furlong apprentice handicap under Luke McAteer.

The Sarah Corcoran-owned four-year-old made ground down the outside of the field in the straight and had the race sewn up inside the final furlong, McAteer allowing him to ease down before the line. He struggled to make an impact in juvenile hurdles over the winter but is much more at home at this level on the flat and has scope to improve further.

AIDAN O’Brien won both maidens on the card with Goolagong and Drumroll, with the pair set to take in a classic trial on their next starts.

Gooloogong (5/2 favourite) took the 10-furlong three-year-old maiden by holding a prominent position throughout for Ryan Moore and then comfortably seeing off the intentions of Nation’s Call, the pair of them notably pulling 14 lengths clear.

The son of Australia has been given plenty of time, having only made his debut when fifth at Dundalk in November, and he impressed Moore in the way he went about his business.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong reported: “He’s been progressing nicely over the winter and he’s a horse that we thought had come forward an awful lot.

“Ryan gave him a lovely ride and he spoke very nicely of him. He’ll fit into one of the trials now and we’ll see how he goes. He’s a mile-and-a-quarter plus horse. He has a lovely attitude and is a typical Australia. He’s a nice horse to go forward with for the year, hopefully.”

The betting suggested there was little between Moore’s mount Ballsbridge and the Seamie Heffernan-ridden Drumroll (13/2) who both made their debut in the one-mile maiden, and it was the latter who came out on top.

Coming into the last two furlongs, the son of Deep Impact looked held as he was well off the leaders but he really got going once the penny dropped and showed a fine attitude to get the better of Dermot Weld’s well bred Time Tells All.

“He did his best work towards the end,” Armstrong said. “We’ll maybe look at a conditions race or see how he progresses and fit him in to one of the trials. He is a nice horse going forward with a lovely pedigree.”